Decision:
RESOLVED
2.1 To authorise the disposal of a void property at Parr Court, N1 at market value to existing leaseholders as agreed by the Estate Regeneration Exceptional Cases Panel.
2.2 To authorise the Corporate Director of Legal, HR and Regulatory Services to prepare and sign the necessary legal documentation and any ancillary documentation required in order to implement the disposal.
REASONS FOR DECISION
In recognition of the large number of leaseholder and freeholder interests to be acquired over the coming years on regeneration estates and the differing circumstances of each household, a range of flexible products have been agreed by Cabinet and incorporated in the approved Hackney Regeneration Estates Leaseholder and Freeholder Options Document (April 2012). These options provide leaseholders and freeholders on the regeneration estates with alternative re-housing options, giving them the opportunity to remain on the estates should they wish to, and therefore allow existing communities to stay together.
However, in the case of these particular leaseholders on Colville Estate, whose case has been considered by the Exceptional Cases Panel, due to their personal circumstances they are unable to take up one of the new home options on the estate as the homes are yet to be built. As a result of their age and poor health and mobility, they are unable to move into temporary re-housing until a new home is constructed and only a single permanent move is feasible. This has been supported by a letter from their GP.
The void property at Parr Court has been valued independently, and will be disposed of to the leaseholders at the assessed market value. The leaseholders’ existing property has been valued and the offer has been accepted by the leaseholders. In addition, home loss and disturbance payments are also paid to leaseholders.
In exchange for the general needs property, an additional social rent property will be made available in the newly built properties on the regenerated Colville Estate, thereby not reducing the stock of social housing owned by the Council.
Whilst the CPO has been confirmed and the Council could work toward taking possession of the Harwood Court property on Colville Estate in July, there is a duty of care with the existing leaseholders and any actions which could be perceived as excessive, or undue stress, could result in negative publicity to the Council and loss of support for this and other regeneration schemes. Therefore this exchange, as an exceptional case, would seem reasonable and has been assessed as such by the Exceptional Cases Panel.
This leaseholder swap does not result in any additional cost to the Council, with the new replacement rented property being provided being of better quality and at a slightly higher rent level.
DETAILS OF ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED AND REJECTED
The full range of options available to leaseholders and freeholders under the Leaseholder and Freeholder Options Document have been explored with the leaseholders and have been found to be unsuitable. This has been confirmed by the Exceptional Cases Panel.
RECORD OF CONFLICTS OF INTERESTS AND DISPENSATIONS GRANTED None